Kenya lowers the age limit of imported trucks from eight to three years

In an attempt to introduce new standards aimed at increasing safety on Kenyan roads, but also to create demand for locally assembled commercial vehicles as part of the Kenyan government efforts to create jobs and boost skills and technology adoption, the Kenya Bureau of Standards has issued a notice according to which, effective 1st July 2022, the age limit of long-distance trucks allowed for import into the country will be reduced from eight to three years, while the age limit for all other vehicles will remain eight years.

More specifically, the new rules establish that the import of rigid trucks with Gross Vehicle mass (GVM) from 3.5 tons to 30 tons will be banned from 1st July 2022, with the only exception of tractor heads and prime mover trucks not older than three (3) years from the year of first registration, which will be therefore allowed for importation.

However, the unilateral adoption by Kenya of these rules raises doubts regarding the compliance of the new measures with the Tripartite Agreement on Road Transport (TAORT), a multilateral road transport agreement signed by the originating members of EAC (namely Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya) in April 1998, which became applicable also to Burundi, Rwanda and South Sudan after their access to the EAC. Indeed, Article IX of the TAORT mandates the EAC partner States to harmonise technical standard regarding safety and fitness of vehicles and to collaborate with each other in promoting acceptable levels of safety and mobility on their roads.